Space Ground Test Equipment Engineer

Varda Space Industries; El Segundo (CA); On-site; USD 109,000 - 153,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Stock options

401(k) with employer match

Relocation support

Job summary

Varda Space Industries in El Segundo, CA, is hiring for an Automation and Controls role. You will design, build, and own sophisticated ground support equipment and test systems for spaceflight hardware qualification and manufacturing operations.

You will work with Beckhoff TwinCAT 3, EtherCAT, and various industrial hardware, contributing to real-time control architecture decisions and end-to-end system ownership.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in a related engineering field.
• 2+ years in test automation, controls, or industrial automation.
• Hands-on experience integrating with EtherCAT, Modbus TCP/RTU, RS-232/485 or similar.
• Experience with Beckhoff TwinCAT 3 (IEC 61131-3) or eager to develop.
• Comfort across the full stack: control software, electrical panels, wiring, debugging hardware.
• Thrives in a fast-paced startup with end-to-end ownership.

Responsibilities

• Design, build, and maintain test systems and GSE for flight hardware qualification and manufacturing operations.
• Integrate with external hardware: thermal vacuum chambers, ovens, chillers, pressure systems, data acquisition, instrumentation.
• Develop and extend Varda's internal PLC framework and EtherCAT tooling.
• Contribute to architecture decisions on real-time control (TwinCAT 3 vs Linux) for high-frequency control.
• Build cabinets, wire panels, and own systems end-to-end from design to commissioning.
• Collaborate with propulsion, avionics, GNC, and manufacturing teams to meet timelines.
• Champion sustainable engineering practices and onboard new engineers.

Skills

Electrical engineering

Controls engineering

Industrial automation

Problem solving

Team collaboration

Education

Bachelor's degree in Electrical/Mechanical/Computer Engineering

Tools

Beckhoff TwinCAT 3

EtherCAT

Modbus TCP/RTU

PLC programming

Job description

Varda Space Industries in El Segundo, CA, is hiring for an Automation and Controls role. You will design, build, and own sophisticated ground support equipment and test systems for spaceflight hardware qualification and manufacturing operations.

You will work with Beckhoff TwinCAT 3, EtherCAT, and various industrial hardware, contributing to real-time control architecture decisions and end-to-end system ownership.